People often ask me how I can afford to travel so much. The answer is simple: Miles and points. In this beginners guide to miles and points I will share the basics of airline and hotel rewards programs, and some advanced tips on how to maximize your mileage and points earnings so you can travel the world for free!
00:00 – 1. What are points and miles:
A unit of currency that you can redeem for something (typically travel)
Miles typically associated more with Airlines
Points with Hotel Programs
Bank points: The most valuable due to their flexibility
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Capital One Rewards
Citi ThankYou Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards
Airline & Hotel points typically redeemed directly with that Airline or hotel. Bank points redeemed for some “credit amount” or transferred to a partner.
But the value of a point or mile between programs can vary differently.
07:19 – 2. How do you earn them?
Traveling
Airline Points when you fly
These programs started based on distance
But now are typically somehow based on revenue.
Usually a complicated formula based on dollars spent, class of service, elite status, and maybe distance flown
This has made it harder for the common traveler to earn lots of points and miles. Whereas before you’d earn miles based on the actual number of miles you flew, now you earn based on how many dollars you’ve spent with the airline.
You don’t have to redeem for flights on the same airline..
Focus on one program in each alliance
Hotel points when you stay
All hotel award programs are revenue-based as well.
Unless someone else is paying for all your travel.. Earning miles and points through actual travel is the most expensive way to earn miles and points
The big ones are Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton. Marriott has the most locations. Hyatt has some of the best properties.
Credit cards
The easiest, fastest, and cheapest way to earn miles
Five ways to earn:
1 – Every day spend
Some amount of miles/points for dollar of spend. Typically based on categories… travel, dining, gas, grocery stores. Need to pay attention to which cards offer the best return in the category.
To earn lots on “spend” you need to spend alot.. Many people have found creative ways to spend alot.
Dollar coin story.
2 – Sign up Bonus
Spend a certain amount of $$$ in a certain amount of time. Don’t just look at the amount of bonus, need to factor in how much it costs you to get that much spend for the bonus.
3 – Refer a Friend bonus
Bonuses can range from 5k to 25k points
4 – Promotional Bonus
Anniversary Bonus
Special Bonus
5 – Retention Bonus
If you’ve run through all the personal cards you can sign-up for, consider business credit cards.
Shopping portals
2 slides: United Shopping, Ultimate Rewards
Most airlines and banks have a shopping portal that you can click through to connect you to online retailers and earn points while you shop.
Just takes a couple more clicks
Cashback Monitor or other shopping portal aggregator
You’ll earn the points from your CC, AND from the portal.
Portals often have their own bonuses.
Dining Programs
A company called the Rewards Network lets you link your credit card to an airline, and you earn points at participating restaurants when you spend on the card.
Rental Cars
Typically airlines points associated with car rentals
Partner deals
Stay with this hotel.. And airlines miles
When the airline delays your flight
When the airline makes a mistake
38:30 – 3. How do you redeem them?
Airlines:
With the airline you earned them with
But often better to redeem for flights on partner airlines
Earn miles on United… Redeem for ANA.
But often you really have to call to get the best flights. Most airlines don’t display all partner availability.
I really like one way flights.. Open jaws
Booking a really hard award? Try when the airline opens their schedule, 10-12 months out.
Alot of award space often opens last minute. They want to dump those first class seats if they aren’t booked.
Hotels:
“Standard” room… some hotels only have 10 standard rooms (Andaz Maui)
Sometimes minimum stay requirements for points
44:50 – 4. Tips for success
46:38 – Questions and Answers
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20 Comments
I prefer United, too. 👍🏻
P.S. I can hear the Traveling Princess crying in the background. 🥰 She probably wants to share the spotlight with you.
Day late and a dollar short but I made it lol. Lovely stream tonight. Sorry I was late but still makes for a great video.
Really great and informative Livestream! Next week's is going to be a blasst
Chris this is a very helpful topic. Thanks for covering it today.
Dang!! Couldn't make it but whatever I'll watch it anyway.
Great info. Thank you. 😎
Chase travel portal 1.5 x 👍👍👍👍
Hi Chris. Great info on the livestream. I only fly once a year and takes me a long time to earn points. And when I earned enough miles, the limit increases. Now I have more options to earn more miles. And I agree that you must pay off the credit card every month or it's not worth it. Take care .
Have the chase bonvoy (Marriott) gotten a lot of points with it!!😄 yep did the dining for the Marriott😀
Even though I only travel once or twice a year, this is excellent information. Thanks Chris! 😊
When your main focus in organising travel is to do it as cheaply as possible 'Loyalty' doesn't really factor into it. Although I fly 5 or 6 times a year its almost never with the same airline – same with Hotels, I stay at different brands a lot. My only freebies come from getting comped rooms in Vegas from TI, Caesars or MGM. In the long run it probably would have been a better idea to focus getting miles and points from specific airlines and Hotels but its tough to not always go with the best deal you can find when planning a trip!
Great live stream. Very informative and some great little known tips (shopping & restaurant portals). Looking forward to putting all these points to good use soon!
I do the same as you collecting points whenever I can and I also try and double dip my points. Right now I have enough points for 4 tickets to Hawaii and 2 tickets to Las Vegas all business class and enough points for 12 nights for an on the beach hotel in Waikiki.
Great video. I love the shopping portals. I am an American Platinum and just during Christmas was able to rack up enough miles to take 2-3 trips in first class for me and my wife….only paying fuel surcharge.
Hi chris is me christine thanks for the all the imformation about. free trvavel and points but I have bank of america. Igets miles points and cash rewards and hotels airlines.
I was looking forward to this live stream. I totally spaced it again! 🙁
Awesome Video Tips! 💯💯💯👍🏽
Excellent video ! Great info on getting points. Your research is so impressive. Thanks Chris.
For Marriott reward members, if you use points to redeem a room, do you still pay a resort fee if the property has one? Or is the resort fee factored into the points being redeemed? Do you know Chris? Thanks in advance!
Good afternoon, Chris. I first discovered you last year when I decided to take my wife and sister to Universal Studios in Los Angeles. I was trying to figure out what rides to get on and in your review of Universal Studios you said, "Get on the Studio Tour." I'm glad we did. Even though we arrived at the park later than anticipated, the Studio Tour was well worth it. So, thanks for that recommendation. I'm also enjoying your videos on traveling. Keep up the good work. Peace.